Carlton: If Baylor wants to contend its defense needs to repeat late-season performance

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Robert Rogers

2. Quarterback Bryce Petty won't throw an interception until the 8th week of the season- No one expected Nick Florence to replace Robert Griffin III like he did. He did, however, and kept the Bears rolling offensively. Petty has had the chance to see how both RG3 and Florence operate. Now he has his shot to be the big man on campus. Not only will he throw for more than 3,500 yards, he won't throw an interception until the Bears play Oklahoma at home in November.

WACO — For the remaining skeptics of the Baylor football program, coach Art Briles took the first day of practice to make a point.

Asked about his team’s potential if the offense delivers as expected and the defense can duplicate its 2012 late-season performance, Briles quite literally spelled out his answer like the former English teacher he is.

“W-A-T-C-H O-U-T,” Briles said Monday. “That’s what it means to me. You better watch out. … We’ll be ready.”

The offense seems like a given with new quarterback Bryce Petty bringing a generous upside and surrounded by maybe the Big 12’s best skill players.

But if the Bears really are going to take the next step to conference contender, then the defense must be better. Actually, it might be hard for the unit to do worse.

“We got called everything but a defense last year,” defensive end Chris McAllister said.

In Baylor’s losses last season en route to an 8-5 finish, the opponents scored 252 points, an average of 50.4 points. Only Louisiana Tech gave up more yardage among Bowl Subdivision schools than the 502.2 average allowed by Baylor. The offense produced 63 points against West Virginia and 50 against Texas — and it wasn’t enough.

Amidst the rubble, some hope surfaced. In a late-season upset of BCS No. 1 Kansas State, Baylor contained Heisman candidate Collin Klein. And the Bears dominated a good UCLA offense in the Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl.

“Nothing changed,” said senior Ahmad Dixon, who is moving to safety from the nickel position. “Personnel didn’t change. It was just chemistry. Guys came together; guys knew what each other was capable of doing and when we did it.”

Baylor returns seven defensive starters with five of those starting for at least the third straight season.

The top four tacklers return, led by linebacker Bryce Hager (124 stops in 2012). Newcomers like Penn State transfer Shawn Oakman and former Euless Trinity standout Brian Nance bring athleticism to what is Briles’ most talented defense at Baylor.

“No doubt,” Briles said. “There is not a weak-link or cover-up guy. It’s not out there. The guys can play and we’re two-deep.”

Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett is more cautious while acknowledging the experience. The secondary remains a concern, especially against Big 12 passing schemes.

He’s had apparently good defenses before undone by bumps and bruises.

“We can’t fall off the cliff when we have three or four guys injured or two guys injured,” Bennett said. “That margin that we drop has got to be minimal.”

Baylor also has one key edge. The defense doesn’t have to turn into Top 25 juggernaut for Baylor to be a Top 25 team because of the offense.

A Top 50 defense and a generous amount of takeaways might be enough. Dixon figures a few timely stops or a forced turnover could make all the difference.

“We know for a fact our offense will score,” Dixon said. “We know nobody in the nation can stop our offense. If you think you can, we’re willing to let you try.

“It’s a matter of us doing what we have to do on the defense side of the ball to help those guys out.”

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